NYC chef eyes restaurant space in Louisville

Insider Louisville recently reported that Rocco Cadolini, a New York City chef and restaurateur who has a restaurant in Tribeca, ROC Restaurant, and one in Brooklyn, Baci & Abbracci, has applied for a liquor license for the restaurant space at 1327 Bardstown Rd. that most recently housed Emma Lou’s Cafe and Vintage Boutique (and before that, Butterfly Garden Café).

Cadolini’s father-in-law is originally from Louisville, and, after visiting a few times and getting a sense of the River City,Cadolini began looking for a location, which he found after several months.

Insider Louisville reports that Cadolini plans to use the first floor for a large bar and casual dining. Upstairs will be a more formal “white table cloth” space. After settling on a chef and manager, Cadolini plans to open by January with a limited menu at first, then expanding into the menu of his New York restaurants as the Louisville spot gets established.